Sports gambling suspects arraigned on felony counts

Three people charged with running a sports gambling enterprise for years in Adrian and Tecumseh were arraigned Wednesday on felony charges authorized by the Michigan Attorney General's Office.

Charges were also issued for a fourth suspect in the alleged gambling enterprise who had not yet been arrested. And a fifth person was charged with illegal betting and involvement in the gambling.

Kevin Andrew O'Connor, 55, of Adrian is accused of "orchestrating the sports betting operation" through his Tecumseh flooring business, according to a news release issued by Attorney General Bill Schuette.

Thomas Demlow, 57, of Adrian, Deborah Kay Johnson, 62, of Tecumseh, and James Melvin Johnson, 68, of Jackson are charged with conspiring with O'Connor and aiding and abetting the gambling operation.

Gregory Todd Worker, 48, of Onsted, is charged with aiding and abetting the gambling operation and with three misdemeanor counts of winning more than $50 from illegal bets.

Worker, an attorney, is the only person charged with placing bets in O'Connor's alleged gambling operation.

The charges resulted from a two-year investigation by the Michigan State Police-led Region of the Irish Hills Narcotics Office.

"This gambling operation took bets on sporting events, primarily involving professional and college football games," said a news release from the police unit. Search warrants were executed on Jan. 7, 2013, in Lenawee and Jackson counties as part of the investigation, said the news release. Investigators reported seizing betting slips and other evidence in the searches.

"The investigation revealed that O'Connor allegedly ran a large sports betting operation for more than 15 years in Lenawee County through his flooring store, O'Connor & Sons Flooring, in Tecumseh," said the statement from Schuette's office. "It is alleged that O'Connor accepted wagers for college and professional football games as well as college basketball games."

Dozens of bettors from Lenawee County and northern Ohio were allegedly involved with betting cards distributed by O'Connor as well as placing bets by telephone, according to Schuette's statement.

Deborah Johnson and James Johnson allegedly distributed and collected betting cards at O'Connor's store and distributed and collected payments for card and telephone bets, said the statement.

Demlow is accused of renting space in his home for O'Connor to field telephone bets, and allegedly gave out lines on upcoming games and fielded bets himself over the telephone, according to Schuette's statement.

"Worker is alleged to have routinely bet hundreds of dollars on sporting events through O'Connor and accepted betting debts owed to O'Connor from another phone bettor on at least one occasion," Schuette said in the statement.

The four suspects arraigned Wednesday in Lenawee County District Court were all released on personal recognizance bonds. O'Connor, Deborah Johnson and Demlow were scheduled for preliminary hearings on Feb. 10. Worker was scheduled for a Feb. 12 hearing.

Charges against O'Connor, Deborah Johnson, James Johnson and Demlow carry up to 20-year prison terms. The one felony count against Worker has a 10-year maximum prison term and the three misdemeanor counts carrying up to 93-day jail terms.

Notices of possible forfeiture actions were also filed against all the suspects except Worker, listing their homes, business property, bank accounts and financial assets.